A search for a successor for the outgoing head of the Regional Transportation District begins in earnest this week as does the process to name an interim boss for the agency.
A five-person executive search committee — picked from the 15-member RTD board of directors — meets Tuesday to kickoff the quest to replace CEO and general manager who is leaving to take a similar post with the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
Washington gave his notice earlier this month.
“There have been a number of people who want to be involved in the naming of the new GM (general manager) who have given us their thoughts and we want to be thorough in sifting through those and conducting our search,” said Chuck Sisk, chair of both the RTD board and the search committee.
RTD will likely hire a firm to help conduct a national search for a new general manager, said Sisk. Washington will be on the job until mid-April.
By then, Sisk said, an interim GM will have been named.
“We are working on a much tighter time schedule in order to accommodate him (Washington) and the agency,” he said.
The search committee in early April will start interviewing senior managers with RTD who are interested in filling the interim slot.
Washington is leaving his $350,000 annual package of salary and benefits with RTD to head up the third-largest public transportation system in the United States.
Sisk said board members are looking for Washington’s successor to have several key attributes including experience in running a large business or transit agency.
The new general manager also will have to be able to communicate well with the board and the public.
“I think we are looking for someone with a certain track record for success and an insatiable appetite and thirst at making our agency better,” Sisk said.
Monte Whaley: 720-929-0907, mwhaley@denverpost.com or twitter.com/montewhaley
